Whatever the eventual outcome of the Hamas attacks on Israel today, the New Zealand government bears heavy responsibility for the loss of life of Palestinians and Israelis.
Like other western countries New Zealand has failed to hold Israel to account for its multiple crimes, including war crimes, against the Palestinian people, day after day, year after year and decade after decade. We have ignored human rights reports of Israel’s apartheid policies. Our government has been looking the other way.
The Hamas attacks are understandable.
Over recent months western countries have turned a blind eye to the brutality of the Israeli army and settler groups engaging in repeated attacks on Palestinian towns and villages and the killing of civilians and children.
The result is now playing out in more violence initiated by Israel’s brutal occupation – the longest military occupation in modern history. The occupation includes Israel’s 17-year-old blockade of the Gaza strip – the largest open-air prison in the world.
New Zealand must reassess its policy on the Middle East and demand Israel adopt a timetable to implement international law and United Nations resolutions.
The right to self determination of states is a right enshrined in international law.
If the New Zealand truly believed in the application of international law New Zealand should send as much military aid to the Palestinians being illegally attacked and occupied by Israel as they did to the Ukrainians being illegally attacked and occupied by Russia.
Pat, self determination is exactly what the people of Donetsk and Crimea want and are being denied by Ukraine’s neo Nazi regime, just as Palestinians are denied by the Zionist Israeli regime. I will consistently support both against these tyrannies.
What neo-Nazi regime? Have you got evidence for this? Stop repeating Kremlin propaganda.
‘Evidence’ that is being forensically dissected right now at the World Court.
If Ukraine win their case it will set a precedent for Palestine to take its own case, asserting their right to self defence against Israel, for conducting a “Slow Motion Genocide” and other war crimes. For which there is mountains of evidence. (unlike Putin’s bullshit.)
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230107922_2
Home The Plight of the Palestinians
Israel’s Slow-Motion Genocide in Occupied Palestine
Steve Lendman
Abstract
Israel is a serial human rights international law abuser. The UN Human Rights Commission affirms that it violates nearly all 149 articles of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which governs the treatment of civilians in war and under occupation, and is guilty of grievous war crimes.1 Imagine life under these conditions: Living in limbo under a foreign occupier; having no self determination, no right of return, and no power over your daily life; being in constant fear, economically strangled, and collectively punished; having your free movement denied by enclosed population centers, closed borders, regular curfews, roadblocks, checkpoints, electric fences, and separation walls; having your homes regularly demolished and land systematically stolen to build settlements for encroachers in violation of international law prohibiting an occupier from settling its population on conquered land; having your right to essential services denied—emergency health care, education, employment, and enough food and clean water; being forced into extreme poverty, having your crops destroyed, and being victimized by punitive taxes; having no right for redress in the occupier’s courts under laws only protecting the occupier; being regularly targeted by incursions and attacks on the ground and from the air; being wilfully harassed, ethnically cleansed, arrested, incarcerated, tortured, and slaughtered on any pretext, including for your right of self-defence;
It was reported recently that Palestinians were deliberately being shot in the ankles – a war crime – because it results in amputations.
Israel’s powerholders don’t want peace, they want regional dominance. It’s a corrupt and brutal regime.
https://www.democracynow.org/2023/10/5/headlines/gaza_medics_see_increase_in_ankle_injuries_as_israeli_forces_shoot_at_protesters_legs
What a disgusting state of affairs that these two large economies are allowed to get away with.
It seems that nothing will ever change for the Palestinian people and it is them that get all the blame when they fight back.
Western Politicians are Gutless
Who’s fault it is, is purely academic at this stage.
Like a truck v bicycle Israel are about to smash Hamas for good this time.
“Israel are about to smash Hamas for good this time.”
Perhaps, but only in name. If so another group, under perhaps another name, will assume its role.
The nathans of this world, salivating at Hamas’s possible demise, have no clue.
This is a surprise given that Israel has been wreaking havoc on Palestine, even more heavily than usual, this past year. Dunno why they have chosen now to finally retaliate (in kind).
As for our government and the West. We all kow tow to the US Govt who in turn kow tows to the big money interests that fuels their government. Thus, we are the bad guys in the world but that doesn’t matter because most of us believe otherwise – that we are the good guys. This is a testament to the influence that big money media has on our world.
Governments are beholding to big money while big money runs the media that primarily shapes our views…..this is why tragic situations like Palestine and the political inaction that typically results from it exist!
Biden is sweet talking deals with the Saudis at the moment, so Israel may not have as much support as usual from the US.
It becomes difficult to decide which is the dog and which the tail, Jerusalem or Washington? If you are Palestinian nothing good will come from either, you have nothing to lose attacking them. Without negotiation the only long term result will be the dismantling of the state of Israel with all the attendant tragedy. Isreal must negotiate now.
Out of idle curiosity, did Hamas build or buy the “thousands of rockets”?
Silly question everyone knows Palestine have the most advanced rocket technology in the world, after their throwing stones technology. I think they have had enough of the Israeli’s pinching their land and intimidating them, might be their last throw of the dice before the Israeli’s and the USA exterminate them.
I don’t condone what has happened by any means but i do agree John, it’s understandable and at this stage, almost inevitable.
When your back finally hits the wall and they keep coming, there is only one way out.
After the colonial genocide of Palestine the final descent into madness for Israel would be to flatten Gaza without the slightest regard for life, including those Jewish hostages.
Both sides are as intransigent as the Irish (one side of my ancestry so I can definitely say that). Probably something to do with everyone thinking they have God on their sides, like all major conflicts
To quote Hitchens….there will never ever be peace. Both sides have God on their side, one side has a def crazier God. “There will never be peace when people are prepared to kill their neighbors and their neighbors children over a cave, a rock, a scroll”. I lived there, it’s crazy AF.
Coming out full noise as a supporter of Zionist oppression and occupation and genocide, by denying Palestinians right to resist, Chris Hipkins exposes himself as a hypocrite on the international stage.
Denying Palestinians right to resist, while at the same time in another theatre of war asserting Ukraine’s right to resist is the height of hypocrisy.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/statement-escalation-violence-israel-and-gaza?fbclid=IwAR0AdeT4Wes9D-TaCjKRrjQf9wIkB2OFCZLt-zKd5yXNFZoVDAZT-OpnhjI
“New Zealand condemns unequivocally the terror attacks led by Hamas on Israel. We are appalled by the targeting of civilians, and the taking of hostages which violate fundamental international humanitarian law principles,” Chris Hipkins said
“New Zealand has designated the military wing of Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and we recognise Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Notably, Chris Hipkins has not condemned the relentless terror attacks on Palestinian civilians by Israeli soldiers and Settlers in the West Bank that has led to Hamas retaliation.
Both the Israeli embassy and the Russian Federation embassy remain in New Zealand to spread their war propaganda. Showing Chris Hipkins true motives in international relations; trade deals and money, no matter how terroristic the country whose embassy we host.
History tells us that when an invading colonising power cannot defeat an insurgent population.
That colonising power only has two choices.
1/ They can de-escalate, withdraw and sue for peace
Or
2/ They can turn to genocide to exterminate that population.
It looks like Israel has chosen extermination
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MboCeXPTEO0
The Israeli ambassador should be asked to leave New Zealand until his country turns away from their policy of extermination.
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